Research library / Review
Neuropharmacology of the naturally occurring kappa-opioid hallucinogen salvinorin A
Cunningham CW, Rothman RB, Prisinzano TE. Pharmacological Reviews 2011;63(2):316-47
This review covers salvinorin A, the main active ingredient of Salvia divinorum, a sage from Oaxaca, Mexico, used traditionally in divination and healing rituals and later as a recreational drug now regulated in the United States and elsewhere. Unlike LSD or mescaline, salvinorin A does not act on the serotonin 2A receptor. It works on the kappa-opioid receptor, and it was the first known opioid-acting compound with no nitrogen atom in its structure. The authors summarise chemistry work that modified the molecule to learn which parts drive its effects, which produced useful tools for studying opioid receptors. They suggest possible therapeutic uses in pain, mood and personality disorders, addiction and gut problems. These suggestions come from laboratory pharmacology; the review does not report clinical evidence that salvinorin A treats any condition.
What it found
- Salvinorin A produces its hallucinogenic effects by activating kappa-opioid receptors, not the serotonin 2A receptor targeted by classic psychedelics.
- It was the first reported opioid receptor agonist that contains no nitrogen.
- Work on its chemical structure has produced many probes and tools for studying opioid receptors.
- The authors list possible uses in pain, mood and personality disorders, substance abuse and gastrointestinal problems.